Presently votes are casted through either electronic voting machines, by mail, punch card system or scanners. Each of these systems has their own problems.
Electronic voting machines do not create hard copy for possible recount. Punch card systems and scanner systems are difficult to use and prone to confusion and misuse and fraud. Vote by mail system is susceptible to fraud.
NY times online article dated Nov. 26, 2006 with the heading “Experts Concerned as Ballot Problems Persist” stated that after six years of technological research, and more than $4 billion spent by Washington, we are far from ensuring that every vote counts.
With the current system government has to spend billions of dollars more.
The election results need to be returned within one day. The system needs to have the people's confidence that the every vote counts and counts correctly.
The hard copy requirement is particuady essentia because voters can see their votes not only electronically but aso as a hard copy. The hard copy needs to be stored and kept for 30 days in case recount is needed. Consequently peope will have more trust in the election system.
The system shoud be able to run in more than one language.